Centrifugal machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. BODGE. GENTRIPUGAL MAGHINE.

No. 459,197. Patented Sept. 8, 1891.

INI/E/VTUR 7% K g f A TTORNEY.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. BODGE. CENTRIPUGAL MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 8, 1891.

WITNESSES: aZlJZ ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM BODGE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,197, datedSeptember 8, 1891. Application filed October 29, 1890. Serial No.369,719. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM BODGE, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCentrifugal Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in centrifugal machines in whichthe material to be operated upon is led bycentrifugal force upwardlyalong the wall of an inverted cone and discharged from the top thereof.

The object is to provide means for more thoroughly subdividing thematerial as it leaves the receiving-hopper and keeping itin a loosenedcondition as it travels along the wall of the separator.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for regulatingthe discharge.

A further object is to provide a cone adapted to feed the water from itsperiphery in spray.

A further object is to provide a bearing for the separator-shaft bywhich the separator maybe more effectually controlled and caused torotate with a steady motion.

WVith these ends in view myinvention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in claims.

A practical embodiment of myinvention is represented in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 represents the machine in vertical section,a portion of the wall of the cone being broken away to show thestructure of the different layers. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of aportion of the cone, a portion of the basket with the series oftransverse screens, anda portion of the receiver. Fig. 3 is an enlargedview, in vertical section of the box and bearing for theseparator-shaft. Fi & is a horizontal section through line or a: of Fig.3, and Figs.5 and 6 represent enlarged views in detail of a portion ofthe wall of the cone and the discharge-outlet at the top of the basket,showing the discharge-regulating device in two different adjustments.

A represents an outer casing of any suitable forni. Within the casing Athere is 10- eated a receiver B, the latter being fixed. in

its position upon suitable supportsas, for example, the brackets 12,secured to the pedestal O. Within the receiver B the invertedcone-shaped separator-basket D is located and supported upon and fixedto the upper end of a hub E, by means of which a rotary motion isimparted to the basket, and to the other parts fixed to the hub by meansof suitable driving-belt, (indicated by c.) A brakewheel is alsoindicated at e in proximity to the upper portion of the hub E for thepurpose of stopping the motion of the machine.

The hub E is fixed to the upper end of a vertical shaft F, the latterbeing journaled in the pedestal C, as follows: The pedestal C is hollowand is provided at its upper end with a spherical seat 0, adapted toreceive the upper spherical end a of an elongated bearing G. The lowerend of the bearing Gis located in a lower enlarged portion of the hollowpedestal O and has fixed thereto a cylindrical box g. The cylindricalbox 9 is conveniently formed by means of an angle-iron forming the innerand upper walls of the box and adapted to abut at its upper end againsta shoulderg on the elongated bearing, while the lower side of the box isformed by means of a plate or disk 9 provided with a central hollowexterior screw-threaded boss or nipple 9 adapted to register with aninterior screw-threaded opening in the lower end of the bearing G. Whenthe disk or plate 9 is screwed home into the end of the bearing G, ittends to force the angle-iron forming the remaining two sides of the boxginto contact with the shoulder g on the bearing. The box g is providedwith a yielding cushion g, of india-rubber, for example, and around theouter face of the box there is placed a ring g, which rests with itsinner face in contact with the exterior face of the yielding cushion.

For the purpose of preventing the oil with which the lower portion ofthe pedestal is intended to be charged from coming in contact with theyielding cushion, I provide cornerguards g, of thin metal, which engagethe upper and lower exterior corners of the yielding cushion, as clearlyshown in Fig. 3. The lower end of the main shaft F is provided with areduced portion f, which extends through an opening in a thrust-plate f,firmly secured within the lower end of the elongated bearing G,preferably, by having its outer portion held between a seat in thebearing G and the upper end of the nipple g as shown in Fig. 3. Betweensaid thrust-plate f and the enlarged portion of the shaft F, I locateone or more washers f consisting, preferably, of annular steelpacking-rings, which washers or packing-rings will receive thedownthrust upon the shaft, and for the purpose of receiving the upthruston the same I also provide one or more such washers f between thethrust-plate f and a cap f secured to the lower end of the shaft F. Thebearing G, with the shaft F mounted therein, is secured in anormally-Vertical position by means of a series of set-screws I-I-four,for example- (shown in Fig. 4 which. extend through the pedestal andengage the opposite sides of the ring g which surrounds the yieldingcushion in the box g. The yielding of the ring with which the screws Hengage at the same time allows the elongated bearing G to assume aposition slightly out of the vertical when under strain, tending to drawit to one side, and thereby prevents the cramping or cutting out of thebearing by the shaft, or vice versa. The bearing is held in its positionagainst vertical displacement by means of a suitable gland g fixed tothe upper end of the pedestal O.

The hopper in which the material to be separated is fed is representedby I, and is provided at its base with an annular screen 1', throughwhich the material is discharged under the influence of the centrifugalforce, and by which all lumpsas in separating sugar, for example-arethoroughly broken up and the material caused to issue in a loose'mass.Radial wings z" extend at intervals from the screen portion t of thehopper and form supports for the cone K. The shape of the cone K issimilar to that of the basket D, and it is spaced therefrom, as isusual, so as to leave a passage for the travel ofthe material upwardlybetween it and the basket. For the purpose of subdividing the water orother liquid admitted within the cone into a spray as it leaves the coneand comes in contact with the material traveling along up its surface Iform the wall of the cone of three layers of material, the inner layerconsisting of a stiff coarsely-perforated material, while outside ofthis I place a wire-cloth 70', and still outside of this afinely-perforated sheetmetal sieve k To further provide for keeping themass as it travels along between the cone and the basket in a looseporous mass, I provide at short intervals screens L, which may be seteither directly across the passage or may be set obliquely thereto, asfound expedient. As the basket and cone are fixed to rotate together, itfollows that the screen L carried thereby must necessarily remain fixedrela-- tively thereto.

At the upper end of the basket there is a fixed opening M for thedischarge of the separated material, and to regulate the dischargethrough said fixed opening I provide an annular nut N, which screws upand down upon the screw-threaded rim m of the top of the cone. The lowerend of the nut N is developed into an outwardly-curved rim portion a, asclearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, which curved rim portion is adapted tobe raised and. lowered in front of the material being discharged fromthe opening M, and to thereby change the direction of said discharge, soas to cause it to free itself from the opening more or less rapidly.-For example, if the discharge-regulating nut be screwed down into theposition shown in Fig. 5 the material being discharged will pass fromthe surface of the material retained in thecu-rved rim, along the dottedline, obliqueto the horizontal, and hence under the impulse of thecentrifugal force Will be discharged more slowly, while if thedischarge-regulating nut be elevated, as shown in Fig. 6, the surface ofthe material held within the hollow rim will have a less angle to thehorizontal, and hence the discharge will be more rapid.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a guard O for preventing the separated liquidfrom coming in contact with the material from which it has beenseparated.

An oil-cup Pcomrnunicates through a pipe p with the interior of thehollow pedestal O for the purpose of keeping theworking partsthoroughlylubricated.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a centrifugal machine, thecombination, with a receiving-hopper and a separating-basket, of a sievelocated around the receiving hopper, through whichthe material to'beoperated upon is caused to pass before reaching the separating-basket,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a separatingbasket and. the cone through whichthe liquid is discharged, of one or more screens located across the pathof the material, being operated upon as it travels upwardly andoutwardly toward the discharge-opening, the said screens being fixedwith respect to the cone and basket, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the separatingbasket and the cone, havingafixed dischargeopening between their peripheries, of an adjustabledischarge-regulator provided with a rim projecting outwardly anddownwardly in front of the discharge-opening, the said rim presenting aconcave face toward the discharge-opening, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the main shaft of the centrifugal machine andan elongated rocking bearingin which the shaft is mounted, of a platefixed in said bearin g near thelower t in end of the shaft, and one ormore Washers inserted between said fixed plate and abutments on theshaft to receive the up-and-down thrust of the shaft, substantially asset forth.

5. The co1nbinati0n,with the elongated bearing, its support, and themain shaft mounted therein, of an annular yielding cushion surroundingthe lower end of the bearing, a ring surrounding the exteriorof theyielding cushion, and adj usting-screws in engagement with 10 the ringto center the bearing, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM BODGE. Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, K. E. PEMBLETON.

